2012 Fall United States Diversity (U)

Recognizing that the understanding of diversity is intimately tied to the concepts of culture, race, language, identity, and inter-group dynamics, as well as their applications to complex situations, United States diversity courses place their focus on the theoretical discussion of these concepts as well as the in-depth analysis of complex situations through these concepts.

United States Diversity courses:

Require students to demonstrate their grasp of theoretical concepts involving culture, as well as to show that they can use these concepts respectfully to analyze both culture in the real world and the rhetoric about culture.

Involve in-depth, analytical discussions about the concepts of culture, the similarities and differences between cultures, the real-world consequences of these concepts, both historically and contemporarily, and cultural interactions in the United States, both historically and contemporarily.

Provide in-depth and focused attention to illustrating and analyzing cultural concepts in complex contexts, preferably including different cultural groups.

Utilize assignments that emphasize some of the following:

the cultural analysis of complex situations.

the theoretical concepts of culture as applied to real-world situations.

reflexivity of students in terms of their own culture and their position in relationship to other cultures.

the improvement of thinking and writing skills as applied to complex problems.

the ability of students to think through problems of cultural difference and decide when and when not such difference can be accepted.